The Republic of Memory is an Arabfuturist debut set on a generation ship on the brink of revolution as its crew begin to ask why they should toil for a people, and an empire, none of them remember.
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In This Spotlight On The Republic of Memory
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About The Republic of Memory
A Memory Called Empire meets Children of Time.
The Safina is a city ship halfway through its four-hundred-year voyage from the ruins of Earth to a new colony world. Its crew maintain the ship, generation after generation, while protecting their ancestors in cryostasis so that one day they will be able to enjoy a fresh start under clear blue skies.
But when blackouts start, unrest follows.
The ship can only continue running smoothly with the cooperation of the crew. And the crew has had enough. As coordinated acts of resistance coincide with a much more complex conspiracy, a chain of events is set into motion that will change life on the Safina forever.
Inspired by the real-world events of the Arab Spring, The Republic of Memory is a bold interrogation of empire and an energizing portrait of revolution.
Praise for The Republic of Memory
“It’s rare that you come across a book that is doing something completely fresh with the genre, but The Republic of Memory is just that. A heady cocktail of Arabfuturism, linguistics, and revolution, this political sci-fi mind-stretcher is destined to be a classic. I was enraptured from the very first page.”—Nicholas Binge, author of Dissolution
“In The Republic of Memory, El Sayed creates a world of familiar politics and utterly fresh, engrossing newness. It is a world so full and intricately developed that I felt I could wander through it for years and still find more to live in. Those who love the depth and wonder of language, and who see it as the seed of revolution, will find this an essential contribution to the canon.”—Bethany Jacobs, author of These Burning Stars
“Mahmud El Sayed has written something utterly original: a wildly futuristic space opera full of thrilling plot twists that is also deeply wise and politically nuanced. The Republic of Memory is a tale of love and revolution on a possibly doomed generation ship that may hold Earth’s last survivors. But it’s so much more than that. It’s about cultural transformation in space, the future of language, and how to build community in a closed environment. I loved this book with my brain and my heart.”—Annalee Newitz, author of Automatic Noodle and The Terraformers
“A generation ship story more concerned with social structure and language than space travel, The Republic of Memory shines with innovative voice and story structure, a rich and complex world, and fascinating, memorable characters.”—Wole Talabi, author of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon and The Fist of Memory
“The Republic Of Memory offers a brilliant, timely, and incisive look at the power of community and the myriad ways the past still rules our present. With a wonderful cast of believable characters, this is science fiction at its finest, and not to be missed.”—M.H. Ayinde, author of A Song of Lost Legends
“A breathtaking, textured, wildly imaginative tapestry set aboard a generation ship. I loved every moment of it.”—Aliette de Bodard, Nebula-award winning author of The Dominion of the Fallen series
“A novel of astounding scale and ambition, The Republic of Memory is an instant classic that deserves to be spoken of in the company of Iain M. Banks’ Culture Series or Alastair Reynolds’ Revelation Space. A brilliant debut about the struggle to save the future of humanity and the eternal clash of generations set in a tower of babel aboard a generation ship.”—Gautam Bhatia, author of The Wall and The Horizon
“Science fiction as it’s meant to be—big ideas, big politics, and amazing characters journeying through space in an arc-ship 200 years from home.”—Stewart Hotston, author of Project Hanuman
About Mahmud El Sayed, Author of The Republic of Memory
Mahmud El Sayed is a British Egyptian science fiction and fantasy writer and translator. A former journalist, he won the 2023 Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Color for his work focusing on Arabic and Islamic–inspired themes in a genre he is calling Arabfuturism. He lives in East London where he spends his time pondering linguistic oddities and running story ideas by his cat.
You can learn more about Mahmud El Sayed at his publisher’s Simon & Schuster, and on Instagram.
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Saga Press
ISBN Trade Paperback 9781668207192
Pub Date May 5, 2026
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We’ve spotted a few other titles we are definitely adding to our TBR stack, including Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell, Translation State by Ann Leckie, and Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
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